Nord Stream 2 “a German foreign policy disaster” – opinion

Zeit Online

New tensions between Russia and the Ukraine have reinvigorated critics of the natural gas pipelineNord Stream 2, linking Russia and Germany via the Baltic Sea, writes Michael Thumann in an opinion piece for Zeit Online. Stopping it would be “a very clear signal” to Russian President Vladimir Putin that armed conflict comes with economic consequences. “But those who now call for stopping the project should first examine whether this even is possible,” he says. The Nord Stream 2 consortium has obtained all necessary licenses and all lawsuits against the project were unsuccessful, meaning that there could be costly claims for damages if the project were halted, Thumann writes. US sanctions against German companies due to the project, on the other hand, could also do a lot of damage, he adds.